Birds. 221 



Newton, it formed No. 43, Lot 6 (Sale-Catalogue, 15th day, 

 August, 1828, p. 95). The specimen in our Museum is a male, 

 and it is probable that the locality for it is correct, and that 

 Mr. Pickard-Cambridge was mistaken as regards this Museum 

 specimen. 



Of the " British Water Birds," according to the Sale- 

 Catalogue in our Museum, Dr. Leacli bought Lot 108, Crane, A. 

 Grus, extremely rare, for £6 ; but Professor Newton's copy sa,ys 

 that the bird was " shot by Lord Gage in Britain " and purchased 

 by Mr. Sabine. Thei'e is no mention of a Crane in Gray's " List 

 of Grallse," and the purchase by Mr. Sabine was j^robably correct. 



Lot 110. The Great White Heron, A. Alba, very rare, said 

 to have been purchased by Dr. Leach, had not survived till 1844, 

 as it is not mentioned in Gray's " List of Grallee, etc." 



Lot 113. Squacco Heron, A. Comata, very rare, seems to 

 have met a similar fate. 



Lots 116, 117, Gardenian Heron, were also both purchased by 

 Dr. Leach, but are no longer in the Museum. 



The Fifth Day's Sale (Thursday, May 6, 1819) began 

 with the British Water Birds. No. 15, Greenwich Sandpiper, 

 has a MS. note in Professor Newton's copy : " Shot near Edin- 

 burgh. Supposed to have been a young Reeve." This was 

 spec, jp of the Ruff in Gray's " List of Grallfe," 1844, p. 103, and it 

 occurs in his Catalogue of 1863 (p. 164). It could not have been 

 kept, as I did not find it when I wrote the " Catalogue of Birds." 



Lot 29 contains the Corn Crake, Rallus Crex, with its egg ; 

 " Common Gallinule, Gallinula chloropus (male and female). These 

 species were taken in the Isle of Tristan d'Ancuna." The latter 

 bird must have been Porphyriornis nesiotis, described by Dr. 

 Sclater in 1861 from living specimens presented by Sir George 

 Grey to the Zoological Gardens (cf. Sharpe, Cat. B., xxiii., p. 166). 

 Professor Newton's copy of Bullock's Sale-Catalogue has a note 

 that this Lot 29 was purchased by Dr. Leach, but I cannot trace 

 the specimens in the Museum records. The Museum copy says 

 that a Mr. Winn was the purchaser, and if this were the case, 

 these Moorhens did not come into the Museum. 



Lot 43. Great Auk, Alca Impennis (male), a veiy fine 

 specimen of this exceedingly rare bird, killed at Papa Westra in 

 the Orkneys, the only one taken on the British coast for many 

 years ; and an egg ; in glass case. These specimens were 

 purchased by Dr. Leach for £16 5s. Qd. They are still in the 

 Museum, the bird being a very fine one, but the egg is not a good 



